Electric jail-alarm.



PATE-NTED-DGT. 20,'1903.

R. F. ADAMS. ELECTRIC JAIL ALARM. APPLIOATIONFILBD HAB.. 8, 1903.

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ELECTRIC .TAIL ALARM.

APPLIOATION IILIBD'IAB.. 6. 1903.

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No. 741,992. y1.11511129110911. 20,1903.

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NITED STATES Patented October 20, 1903.

ROBERT F. ADAMS, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

ELECTRIC JAlL-ALARNI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,992, dated October 20, 1903.

Application led March 6, 1903- Serial No. 146,539. (No model.) l

To cir/ZZ whom, it may con/corn:

Beit known that I, ROBERT F. ADAMS, a resident of Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Jail-Alarms, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to jail-alarmsspecially adapted for indicating, at the wardens room or separate building in which he may reside, tampering with or severing of the jail- Window grating by the prisoner in his attempt to escape by breaking or sawing the bars of the window-grating. I

The invention consists, broadly stated, in peculiar electrical wiring of the jail-window grating whereby breaking or sawing of either of the bars forming the window-grating .will break or sever the wiring and cause an alarm to sound by means of suitable circuit-wires thereby put in electrical circuit with the alarm.

The invention comprehends, in connection with each wire employed in connection with the window-grating, a peculiar circuit-closer and also novel means whereby all the wires extending from the circuit-closers just mentioned are eifectively protected from each Window of the jail to the Wardens room `or separate building in which he may reside.

The invention also comprehends the employment of some suitable annunciator, alarm-bell, and battery located in the Wardens room or separate building having electrical connection with all the wires leading from the grating-bars of all the windows in the jail and the annunciator adapted to indicate which window-grating is being tampered with and also which bar in the windowgrating is being cut, broken, or tampered with.

The invention also comprehends special normally open circuit-closers with each wire employed in connection with the bars of the several window-gratings which when cut or.

broken automatically' complete an electrical circuit with thef alarm-bell and the annunciator, the latter indicating by suitable wellknown means the window and bar thereof being cut or broken.

A still further novelty resides in special means employed by me Wherebythe alarmbell is caused to sound until the severed wire of the Window-grating is connected or restored to original condition adapted to hold its circuit-closer to open or normal position. In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe it in detail with reference to the accompany ing drawings, which form a part of this specilcation.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view showing the exterior of a jail having one window. The View also shows a remotely-located building in which the jail warden may reside and wiring extending from the jail-window in circuit with an annunciator and alarm-bell located in the wardens residence. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional View taken horizontally th rough the j ail-wall and switch-box. The View also shows in section one end of a window-grating bar with its interior wire projecting therein. Fig. 3 is a detail plan View of my switch-box, showing its circuit-wires leading therefrom through a suitable protecting-tube. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken through one grating-bar, portion of the switch-box; and Fig. 5 is a View showing in front elevation an annunciator with an alarm-bell and battery in electrical circuit with the switch-box circuit-closing devices. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the circuit-wiring of two window-bars,with the bar and window indicators and also the bell.

I have hereinbefore stated the object of my invention and briefly referred in general terms to leading features thereof; but before describing it in detail I would state that the wiring, switch-boxes, circuit-closers, and window-grating construction,&c. being identically the same at all windows of the jail I deem it sufficient for a full understanding of drawings only one jail-window with the wiring thereof, the annunciator and alarm employed, and switch device and circuit-wires all arranged and adapted according as invented by me. In this application I do not seek to claim any special arrangement of window-grating or peculiar circuit-closer and annunciator devices, since the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

of the Wall adjoining the window, and one end my invention to describe and show in my IOO " sition adapted to provide security against `removal from the inside of the jail.

In all the tubular bars A, I arrange a wire C, having one end thereof fixedly secured at one end of the bar by any approved means. In Fig. 4' I illustrate one means adapted for the purpose, in which an anchor-pin D is 'employed, with this end of the wire secured thereto. It will be noticed (see Figs. 2 and 4) that the wire C extends from its anchored end, as at D, within and through the bar A, the opening E in the wall B, and thence into a box F, which is provided with a hinged cover Gr, adapted to be secured by lock and key, as indicated at H, Fig. l. Vithin the box G, I arrange a suitable normally open switch or circuit-closer H. (See Fig. 2.) The member I of this switch is formed of an upright yielding standard having any suitable support on the bottom of the switch-box and constitutes one pole or terminal of the circuit-wires. The member J, constituting-the other pole or terminal, is formed of a ring at the upper end of an arm J', as shown in Fig. 2. A spring M, having one end suitably connected with the far inner side wall of the box F, as at N, has its other end made fast to the ring L, to whose opposite side the wire C is secured. (See Figs. 2 and 3.)

O indicates inclosing tubes leading from all the switch-boxes F to a common larger in`- closing tube P. The latter tube is intended to extend down underground and along into the Wardens room Q, as shown in Fig. l. The object of the inclosing tubes O and P is to provide effective protection for all the circuit-Wires leading from the switch-boxes to the wardens room.

In the wardens room I arrange an annunciator R and alarm-bell S. Annunciators and internal devices thereof being well known to the skilled, it becomes only necessary for me to say that the particular annunciator which I employ is divided into sections l, 2, or more, (see Fig. 5,) indicating the several windows of the jail and each section having an indicator T of approved and well-known i form in circuit and adapted through common electrical means to indicate the window through which the prisoner is attempting to escape. I also provide each section of the annunciator with indicators U similar to the window-indicator T and with each of the said indicators U in circuit with the poles of one circuit-closer H and also the alarm-bell S. In other words, the wiring and operating devices of the belland indicators may be ordinary, as will be suggested to those skilled in the art, and operate,when one switch H is closed, its indicator U, and the window-indicator T. Obviously the bell S should be in circuit with all the indicators U of the several sections on the annunciator.

V indicates a battery which may be located in the wardens room in circuit with all the indicators on the annunciatorand the alarmbell.

W indicates circuit-wires leading from all the switches H to the annunciator through the small tubes O and the common tube P.

I do not deem it necessary to show or describe any particular Wiring or means within the annunciator for working the several indicators, since the wiring and devices that I use are well known and now employed with aununciators in telephones and other electrical systems.

/Vith all the parts and circuit-wires arranged as above stated the operation would be as follows: Should a prisoner in the jail attempt to escape by sawing through one of the bars A, he would cut the wire C. With the wire C cut or broken loose at its anchored end obviously the spring M would be free to pull back on the ring L, and thereby draw the terminal I to the dotted position ain contact with the terminal J. This action would close the circuit at the switch H between the battery U, the bell S, the window-indicator T, say, in section 1, and the grating-bar indicator V in that section of the annunciator. Obviously simple bending of the grating-bar A, as shown in Fig. 3, would draw on the spring M and adjust the standard I, asindicated by dotted position b, and thereby complete the circuit, as will be understood. When a circuit is closed as just described, the bell will continue to sound until the wire C is restored to original or anchored condition through the tube A, with the spring M under tension and the standard I out of contact with the ringterminal J.

The electrical features of my invention may be tested from time to time by unlocking and opening the door Gr of the switch-box and moving the standard-terminal I to the dotted position b, thereby closing the alarm and annunciator circuits.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a jail-alarm and in combination, window-grating having tubular bars, a wire in the said tubular bars having one end xedly anchored and its other end yieldingly secured, a normally open switch at the yielding end of the said-wire, means at said yielding end of the wire whereby the switch may be tested, means operating to close the switch upon movement of the said yielding end of the wire in one of opposite directions, an annunciator including a battery and alarm-bell, and a series of indicators ou the annunciator IOO with one indicator of the series in circuit and adapted to operate at the same time with either other indicator of the series and also the alarm-bell, the poles of each normally open switch, the several indicators on the annunciator, and the bell, being in circuit with the annunciator-battery, substantially as described.

Aand annunciator as specified, indicators arranged in sections on the annunciator, with one indicator, in each section, in circuit with each other indicator in its section and also the alarm-bell, and Wires in circuit with the annunciator and bell operating devices and the said circuit-closer in the switch-box, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a jail-alarm of the character described,emp1oying inclosed wires across the jail-window, circuit-Wires, an an# nunciator, bell, and battery circuit as specified, of an inclosed normally open circuitcloser at one end of the said Wires across the jail-Window, means in the switch-inclosure adapted to hold the adjacent end of said wire under tension and also operatethe circuitcloser when that portion of the wire across lthe Window is cut or bent, and means whereby the annunciator, bell, and battery circuits may be tested, substantially as described.

ROBERT F. ADAMS.

Witnesses:

R. T. BAYETT, A. A. CLISBY, Jr. 

